Memories
by Elibe16
Summary: Riku's longing for something to happen in his life. Not bad, but not wonderful. Plain he'd say. And it's coming: a boat's sinking during one of his biology class, and he's there, waiting to give Riku what he wants: a radiant life. It'll perhaps be rated T or M later.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note : Hi there. Ok. First, english's not my native language so, please, just go over those awful grammar mistakes :)

Then, this is my first fanfiction. I do love KH and, well, I wanted to give it a try! If you like, let me know and I'll continue with the best I have, promise ;)

Finally, because I don't want any trouble, I have to say that I don't own, unfortunatelly, neither all those characters nor the game itself. It belongs to Square and Disney. But I do own the story ! P:

* * *

A story. He always wanted to write a story. Why not indeed. A story. About what? Here comes the problem. He wants to write, like he is in need of it to survive, and yet, he can't, because he doesn't know his subject. Love? Too cliché. High school? College's better. See, he wants to write, but the subject doesn't come. How about a college student, with a complex love affair? Far too usual once again. Why is there everybody stealing his subjects? Well, let's try again. What does he like? Clocks, whales, birds, flowers, sea, sun, winter, sweets. What does he believe in? Magic, youth, true love. Ok, so why not a young college student in love with a man who wears a clock all made of flowers and who eats sweets, near a shore full of whales and sea birds, while the sun's shining during winter? Too complex. Botheration, as he would say, why is it so complex to write something which makes sense?

He creases the piece of paper on which he was trying to write, throws it away and takes a look at the window. It's winter, but yet it's not cold. Sun's up, but it's not hot. Perfect time for a walk. He takes his overcoat, pulls it on and goes out.

Let's take a look at him, don't you want? Not that tall but still not tiny, not that brawny but certainly not skinny. His hair, let's just say it now, seems to be made of silver pearls. We're talking about the colour; his hair ain't in pearls, that's obvious. His eyes are aquamarine, yes they are, trust me, one of the most beautiful shade of the ocean just decided to go in his eyes to make them wonderful. Nonetheless, they look like they're in despair. Because, as we said, he's in pain of writing. He's a college student, not that smart but absolutely not that dumb, and he likes to read all kind of things, listen music, watch movies, play video games, eat, sleep, walk and, above all, to write.

Right now, he's walking down the street, and the street is somehow just aside the beach which is aside the sea. In this sea live whales, blue ones especially, manta rays, jellyfishes and all other kinds of marvellous creatures. He's thinking about the subject of his writing. It could be anything, but even that, he doesn't find out. Anyway, he'll walk, it'll eventually come to his mind, and everything will be better. This thought makes him smile, a little, tiny, itty bitty smile. Yet, he feels better. So he goes back to his house, and starts everything over again.

* * *

Next day is a school day. So he wakes up, dresses (blue jeans, purple jumper and black opened cardigan), eats breakfast (French type, because that's one of the best with the English type) and goes out, walking five or six blocks, we can't fix our mind, to the Island's college. Yes, he lives in Destiny Island. He arrives and before he passes the doors, well, let's see what happened.

"Riku! Wait for me!" screams, behind him, a voice full of joy, as always.

He turns back, showing, but not for long, his itty bitty smile to his, yes, we can say so, only real friend. Sora eventually arrives in front of Riku, panting because he ran to catch him, smiling like one of those happy kids playing in streets in summer.

"I woke up late. Sorry" he says, "What do we have this morning?" he asks.

"Biology. We go on the beach to study manta rays, remember? Weren't you almost dancing on your table when the teacher announced it?"

"Ah, yes, true! I remember now! Let's go, quick quick quick!" Sora says, pushing his friend into the building to their classroom where the teacher, we decided it'd be Mrs. Ursula for all of you, is waiting for all the students to check them all and then go on the beach.

They arrive and Mrs. Ursula, who always embodies elegance with her heels and dresses despite her obvious lack of regime, was calmly waiting for students to arrive, they still had one or two minutes before the countdown's over. While these few minutes are passing, Sora and Riku are talking about their week-end. Sora was not there, which explains why Riku was lonely and trying to write something to forgot his loneliness, he was in a little journey with his parents and his twin, Roxas. The way Sora's telling it, it sounds like it was the journey of his life. Riku had nothing special to say, except that he finally finished reading a Diana Wynne Jones' book.

Time's over, too bad for latecomers. Mrs. Ursula goes out, followed by her students, and exits the college, going straight on to the beach. That takes about two minutes and three seconds, the beach was really close. Here, someone, probably a sailor by her look, was waiting for them. She waves at Mrs. Ursula who waves back elegantly and then walk to her, still followed by her really obedient students. After all, no one would want to make Mrs. Ursula angry, she has such a voice, not that bad actually, but terribly horrifying, like she could turn you into nothingness just by screaming. She does not preside over the college's choir for nothing.

"Dear Ariel, how nice of you to make us benefit from your experience" says Mrs. Ursula in her _mondain_ accent.

"You're welcome" answers Ariel, politely. But everyone could see she was actually talking to the students. Mrs. Ursula dismissed Ariel from the choir a long time ago, because, as she would say, "she had no voice at all, like a mute really". Everyone now knows she was jealous. Anyway, that is not our subject.

"Follow me, I'll show you the way to the rays, they're swimming just right in front of the quay" says Ariel, already walking, soon followed by the students and their teacher.

"Do you think they'll dance?" asks Sora to Riku.

"You know, I don't think manta rays dance. They just swim. Where did you got that idea?" answers Riku, making fun, just a little, of his friend.

"I heard that when they're swimming, it's like they're dancing! Hey, stop giggling!" orders Sora, in a bit of a sulky mood.

"Ok, ok, we'll soon see if that's right. But look, here we go, the quay" says Riku, pointing at the said place.

"The first gets a sweet from the others!" screams Sora to everyone, taking advantage of how Mrs. Ursula was far away (she is not used to walk on sand with heels actually).

And everyone runs. Even Riku. Even Ariel, she was still young after all. Who got at the quay first? Who cares, really? You do? Fine, Naminé did. Yes she is fast, she likes running after all. But whatever, they are all on the quay, except Mrs. Ursula who's following behind them. They go to where the manta rays have been seen earlier, and there they are, swimming. No. Dancing, just like Sora said. Have you, yes, you, ever seen a manta ray in your life? No? You ought to, it's magical to see them plane on water, to see them circle and turn and go up and down. All students, Sora and Riku firsts, were dazzled by the spectacle. Ariel's telling them a lot of interesting stuff about them, really, you ought to do some research on manta rays, it's worth it.

Eventually, Mrs. Ursula succeeds in catching her students. At everyone's surprise, she says that the whole day will be dedicated to study sea creatures; she obtained the authorization of the other teachers. Everyone's overjoyed by the new, and after manta rays, Ariel takes all students and their teacher onto a boat to go study jellyfishes underwater. Yes, underwater, with wetsuits and all the stuff.

One after the other, all students dresses with a wetsuit and an oxygen tank.

"That is one heavy thing" groans Sora, trying to walk with all that stuff on him.

"If only you were doing more sport, it wouldn't be a problem" says Naminé, gently laughing.

"Not funny, and I do sport!" responds Sora

"Yep, he runs every morning not to be late at school!" adds Hayner, laughing so hard that his stomach hurts.

"Hey, not funny Hayner! Riku, help me, they're all against me!" childishly begs Sora.

"Sorry, they're right. Can't do a thing for you" says Riku, blinking to Naminé who giggles softly.

"Aww…" says Sora, sitting down on the boat's floor, his legs opened and his fingers playing on the wood of the floor.

"Don't be sad, you'll get over it, as usual" Riku tells him, trying to cheer him up, disliking when Sora's not always smiling, as if something was going wrong with the world.

"Be ready children, we will go underwater in less than a minute, just the time for Ariel to tell you how it works under the sea" says Mrs. Ursula, interrupting the conversation, appearing in her own wetsuit. And now, she really does look like an octopus. Like a real octopus. But anyway. Ariel explains them how to breath and swim underwater and here they go, plunging. Just to say, they all communicate with radios.

"We will go a little bit more in the depths of the sea" Ariel radios the others, showing with her thumb the exact way.

To answer your question, yes you have one, they all know how to swim. They all live on an island, it looks totally logical.

Let's go back to our story. They all swim where they have to, and that is what they see. Remember Finding Nemo? When they arrived in a field of jellyfishes? Well, that's the exact same thing here, except that the jellyfishes are a radiant purple, not pink. And they are not dangerous. At least not to human beings.

Sora's playing with the umbrella-shaped bell of a jellyfish, seeming to enjoy this day class more than anything in the world. Riku, a bit more serious, listens to what Ariel has to say about jellyfishes, and it really is interesting. Did you know there was an immortal jellyfish? Don't believe me? Go google it for yourselves, and let's go back to Riku and Sora, now playing together with inoffensive tentacles, putting them on their heads and shoulders to act like divas, but soon stopped by Mrs. Ursula's own tentacles, the one of her wetsuit. Told you, like a real octopus.

But soon, a scream. Who screamed? Riku. Why? Because he's in admiration. Of what? A blue whale, calmly swimming a few metres away.

"Huge!" Sora says, his eyes wide opened.

"Marvellous" whispers Riku, dazzled, amazed and all the synonyms. We told you he loves whales.

Have you ever heard a blue whale sings? Try one day, that is one of the most perfect sound on earth. And Riku's thinking just like we do.

We can't tell how much time passed where Riku's starring at the blue whale, just like the other students actually, and even Mrs. Ursula was impressed. Ariel's still saying everything there is to know about blue whales. Perhaps two hours passed. Their oxygen tanks are now almost empty; they must go back on the surface. And they do. Now on the boat, they're going back to the beach, talking about how wonderful was what they saw.

But there, a yell. Naminé yelled. She's pointing at the horizon, just behind the boat. Another boat, a tiny one, is sinking, unfortunately hit by the whale's tail while she was swimming, without thinking of hurting someone. No talk, just moves. Mrs. Ursula's calming the most sensitive ones while Ariel's piloting to go straight on to the tiny craft with the help of Riku, Sora and Hayner to guide her through the sea.

They arrive, they see them. Something like three or four people are drowning, their craft broken in a multitude of wood pieces. In a few minutes, everyone on the boat's floor, throwing out, spitting, and coughing salt water, except one who needs to be helped by Riku to do so. Three of them look rather young, just as much as the students. The other looks older, yet less than Mrs. Ursula. Something about thirty we'd say. One has grey-blue hair and dark blue eyes. The other seems to have, when dried, ash blond hair. The old one's scary, dark-grey hair, one yellow eye, scars. That is a creepy one. The last one is knocked-out, probably directly hit by a huge wave or by the whale's tail. He has red hair and eyes as green and precious as jade.

Ursula's trying to do her best to help them, but it's not like she's used to, so some students, that is to say Naminé, Hayner, Kairi, Sora and Riku, are helping her being helpful. The boat finally arrives at the quay, all students are going home, half amazed by their day, half terrified by the end of it, except the five we talked about who help Mrs. Ursula and Ariel taking the castaways to the college nursery.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you liked, or I'll be forced to get over it with my invisible reader who'll congratulate me all over the story (because whatever happened I won't stop!) instead of you. I named him Walter.

No, seriously, you can't imagine how good it is too have a review, good or bad (bad means improvment!) so, please, do! :))


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note** : Hi again! I really am grateful to all of you for reading and I want to say a special thanks to **Wilhelm Wigworthy** for his review, the first one! I do hope it won't be the last :)

Oh, and English is still not my native language.

So here is already a new chapter, hope you'll like!

Disclaimer? See first chapter :)

* * *

White, blue and green. Some touches of purple and red here and there. That's how the walls of the nursery are. "A bit of colour doesn't hurt" always says the nurse (no one knows her real name but everyone just talk about her like some kind of fairy godmother, because she really is acting like one). Five or six seats, a room with one or two bed, it depends on the needs of the story actually, and a small table. A door leads to the nurse's office but she is not there. Just to say, the nurse is probably around her sixties, she has grey hair always well combed and wears, we could say a different one every day, long dresses full of colours. Once she appeared with a fuchsia one. Mrs. Ursula almost fainted. But let's go back to our story.

She is, the nurse, with Riku, Sora and Naminé (Hayner and Kairi left, their parents were waiting for them and Mrs. Ursula had a lot more business to do with her choir), in the room with the beds. If three of the castaways were really fine, just shattered, and waiting in the room with the seats, always silent, the last one -we said it remember?-was not that good. He has been hit by the whale's tail or by one of the huge wave it created when it plunged under water. Anyway, he is now lying flat on the back on one of the bed, unconscious.

Let's talk about this guy. As we said, his hair is as crimson as an active volcano. His eyes had been directly forged in the purest emerald. No it's not too poetic. It's true, there's a difference. The features of his face are wonderful. To be faster, let's just say that this red haired man is beautiful, not because he's conforming with an ideal, but because he truly is. Now that we said that, let's go back to business.

The nurse is trying to find out possible mental disorders, or physical troubles. Physical, well, yes, let's be realistic. He has one or two ribs broken and some bruises. Water's dangerous and heavy. Mental, well, that is harder to say, because he is not awake. So she treats the wounds the best she cans, and she cans a lot, and she asks the students to leave, or to stay if they want, but to be quiet and to let the ruby one make his way to the real world. Naminé leaves, because her parents are waiting for her, Sora stays for a while, he had warned his parents, but at nine p.m., he has to go. So he goes, leaving Riku alone with a sad smile because he really wants to stay but, well, he can't, and we understand him as much as Riku does, so we forgive him. Riku stays because he has nothing else to do. He's alone, not that he has no parents, but her grandmother, who lives in the island, always said to him that they always have to be far so they can earn money. Pointless to say he barely knows them. And he lives with that, alone in his little but comfortable house his parents bought for him.

"Will he wake up?" asks Riku, standing in the doorway of the office, looking at the bed.

"Oh, yes, he will, I'll make that sure. But, Riku, why do you stay? It's not that I don't want it, do not misunderstand me, but I'm really… surprised. It is not like you are, how can I say it… Well, caring" says the nurse, with a very soft and kind but wise voice.

"I won't say that I don't know that'd be awfully absurd. But… I won't answer, I'm sorry Ma'am…" replies Riku, watching how clean the floor is.

"Not a problem, I do think you must have your reasons" says the nurse, a little smile on her face.

Riku steps away, going back to the room with the seats and then to the room with the beds.

We notice that we haven't talk that much about the three others castaways. They still are in the seats' room. But they are more silent than death herself; they hadn't said a word since they were rescued. They were also pale. A lot. And horrified. At least they were before they all fall asleep from exhaustion, the two youngest clutching together on their seats.

Riku's wondering why. Why were they on such a tiny boat? Why are they that much terrified? What happened? Where do they come from? Why leaving? Who are they? So much questions and not even the bite of an answer. Riku sits on the bed facing the one where the crimson haired is. He looks like he just sleeps, calm, his chest going up and down slowly. Riku stands and stares at the occupied bed.

"What happened to you? To all of you?" he whispers.

Let's understand his reasons for staying there. No one's waiting for him at home. He's always alone when Sora's not near. To be clear, he is bored. His whole life, when Sora's not there, is a bore. Wake up, dress, eat, going to school, returning home, sleep. And all over again. Only Sora lights up his life, but unfortunately, Sora is not every time his. And when he is not, then he's alone and bored. He really tried to find an occupation, he reads, plays video games, watches movie, listens music, writes. But it doesn't really work. When he is over with one, then boredom's back. So we can just imagine how exciting it must be for him, that, happening to his class and so to him. He had to take his chance. He had to made his life moving. So there he stands, getting involved in a strange kind of adventure. We're sure that all of you can understand such a feeling.

"Mind your business kid" says a hoarse voice behind him.

In the doorway, the older one. Really scary with his eye patch. But still, he speaks.

"What if I don't?" asks Riku.

"Then you'll get as much trouble as me" answers the guy with a grin while going to lie down on the empty bed.

"Who are you? What-…" starts Riku, making one step toward the man wearing black clothes.

"Wowowo, calm down. I won't answer any questions. I'm no more involved with it" quickly says the man, "but name's Xigbar, that I can say".

"Involved in what?" asks Riku. Curiosity's bad, but yet, it's one of his habit. Usually, he doesn't show it, he knows how to be discreet about it. But there, he wanted to know. Anyone would want to.

"Don't ask me, I'm not telling you one damned thing" answers Xigbar, closing his eyes.

"Why didn't you talk before? Why now?"

"Because they sleep, they can't prevent me from doing it"

"They can prevent you from doing something?" asks Riku, almost surprised.

"A deal's a deal. They paid, I obey. Now, do you mind shutting up this chatty mouth? I'm tired, and still in convalescence, I'm choked you know!" says Xigbar, making fun of the situation, mimicking a damsel in distress in waving his hand like a fan.

Riku stops asking. It looks like this guy won't be of any help. He sits on a seat in the seats' room and wait. When he wakes up, the suns almost high in the sky. It must be around nine. And it's Saturday. No classes. That's a big news. He takes back the blanket the nurse put on him and goes to see if someone's awake. Someone is. Two are. The one with ash blond hair and the other with dark blue eyes. They are on the bed of the unconscious one. Xigbar's not here. Must have went away during the night Riku thinks.

"Erh… Hi" says Riku to the two boys looking at the other's face.

They turn to see who's speaking to them, almost frightened, but when they see that it's one of the students who helped them, they simply go back looking at their, so it appears, friend, waving a plain hello with their hands.

"You know that you'll have to talk right? About what happened? And who you are?" remarks Riku, walking a few steps toward them, crossing his arms.

"We don't want to bother. We will stay until Axel wakes up and then we'll go" declares the one with ash blond hair.

"So the name's Axel" says Riku, "The nurse said he must stay for a couple of days when he'll wake up. Because he might be shocked."

No one answers. They just look at Axel with an even more worried look. Who are they? Why were they on a boat? What happened? Still no answers.

"Can you tell what happened?" tries Riku, sitting on the empty bed facing Axel's one.

No answers. But the ash blond one looks at him, seeming to want to tell him something, but he does not and just goes back to his friend.

Seriously, that is one of an adventure and yet he can't do a thing for it. No answers, no words, just wanting to leave. Exciting, just like in novels. But still, that's weird. It's too much like in a novel.

Accepting the fact that none of his questions will be answered, Riku leaves the infirmary. After all, he doesn't know them. He walks down the street after going out of his college and arrives at Sora's house. He knocks one, two, three times and he hears someone running to open the door. His friend's here, all smiling in his pyjamas, knowing Riku would come, like every Saturday and Sunday. Riku goes in, kissing Sora's cheek just like a good morning kiss, and goes up to his room, knowing this house just like his own, saying out loud a hello to Sora's family. They eventually enter the half childish-half student room, even more colourful than the nurse's dresses.

"So? What happened? Did you talk to them?" asks Sora in one quick breath, desperate to know everything.

"I did. But I don't know a thing. They just told me they'd leave when their friend, I know his name's Axel, will wake up. But nothing more" says Riku, taking off his cardigan and sitting on the floor, cross-legged.

"Oh…" tells Sora, seeming a bit disappointed, "But why were they on this boat anyway?" he says, sitting on the floor next to Riku.

"Just told you I had no idea. Did you listened to me?" says Riku, mockingly.

"Yes. I think so. But still, that's weird. Like in a movie! I'm sure they're some spies in mission or something like that" declares Sora, childishly, putting his arms behind his head.

"Well, not a very discreet way to act. They're bad spies. But I'd rather think they're pursued by the Super Villain Tomato."

"Oh yes! And we'll help them with our superpowers! And seeing that they're rich, they'll reward us generously" continues Sora with a big big big grin, smiling like the sun.

"Of course. And they'll give us a castle for holidays"

And there they go, as always, starting to imagine what life they could have and what they could do if they were rich enough to buy one, two or three golden castles. Dreams are great in our heads, but they never happen, fortunately. Otherwise, life'd suck. After boats, private islands, airplanes, private stars and all that kind of stuff, our two heroes hug to say goodbye. Riku has to go, it's late, talking's a time eater. It's already 10 p.m. So he goes, waving goodbye until Sora closes the door. He walks down five or six blocks, we still can't fix our mind, and enters his house. Empty as always, so he has to light his room. He cooks, eats, reads a little and then goes to sleep.

The following day is somehow the same of this one, except the infirmary part. He goes to see Sora outside, at the beach the morning and at the public aquarium the afternoon to be more specific. They play, watch, talk and even laugh a little. As usual we'd say. But this time, something is different when he goes back home. He realises. He likes Sora, a lot, true. Sora's the only person to make him feel complete, true too. But it is no more enough. Even his time with Sora is the same every day. All his life's the same day after day. The real disaster, the one he realised that day, is that he has no expectations. Useless to say that this same day, he cried a few tears when alone on his bed.

Let's just imagine how painful it must be. No, we can't. So we won't even try.

The next day's Monday. A school day. Se he does the usual things (grey top, white pants, thin black leather jacket) and walks slowly to college. Sora shouts behind him, asking him to wait. Once again, he woke up late. They go to class, eat together, and they go home. Well, Sora does, not Riku. Riku stays at college and goes to the infirmary. He wanted to know more about those guys, if they were still there.

When he enters the infirmary, he hears voices from the room with bed. The nurse's busy with a student in a class. It's bad, but he listens, being all silent.

"You know they'll come after you if you stay here" says a hoarse voice, Xigbar obviously. So he stayed after all.

"Yes we know, but he's still…" says another voice; Riku recognises it as the one of the ash blond guy.

"Who cares, I won't stay any longer for just one. I put my life in danger and there's the reward" coldly says Xigbar, starting to walk, so it appears, in the direction of the door to the seats' room.

"You can go away, now we can take care of ourselves" says a totally unknown voice.

"Better be, because I'm off" sniggers Xigbar, opening the door while Riku, clever boy, had gone to the nurse office to hide.

"And where will you go?" pursues this same unknown, but yet melodious, voice.

"Who knows? Far from you. You are the meaning of troubles." Says Xigbar, going out of the infirmary for good it seems.

"What now? You've thrown him away, and now? He's right, and you know that" says the ash blond guy, reproachfully.

"We can't leave Axel behind. We owe him everything. He saved us, and we're his friends. Right?" replies the melodious voice.

"Yeah, that's true… That's just the three of us against the world now, I guess!"

"How can you laugh in such a situation?"

The nurse comes back and goes straight on to the beds' room. A woman stands behind the main door of the infirmary, seeming disgusted by all the colours of this room.

"Children, I talked about you to the college's head, she wants to talk with you to know what to do. She's also the mayor of the island. She's waiting at the door. She'll know what to do, don't worry" says the nurse to the two boys, smiling softly.

Hesitantly but with no other choice, the two young men just walk out the beds' room and look at the college's head. She's tall, noble, regal (even more than Mrs. Ursula) and something like dreadfully beautiful. Yes indeed, that's how Mrs. Maleficent, the college's head, is. They step toward her; looking at each other face to know if it is a good idea to speak to such an authority. But they have to, otherwise they'd be found one silently says with his mouth to the other.

"Follow me to my office" emotionlessly says Mrs. Maleficent before any of them could talk.

And they do follow her, without a word. And the nurse goes with them. Now Riku's alone on the nurse's office, and he steps out and goes to the beds' room. Here, he sits on the empty bed and he looks Axel, silent.

* * *

Perhaps I am too slow with all that. But I prefer when things are done well. Perhaps Axel will wake up in the next chapter? :)

Thanks a lot for reading and don't hesitate to review, it's a wonderful feeling to know that people read what you do and to know what they really think about it!


	3. Chapter 3

Author's note: Hi hi! I hope you enjoyed reading the last chapter, because here's one I'm quite prouf of :) First because I've succeed in making it a bit longer and then because it's all dramatic.

I wanted to thank all those who're reading my story, even if I don't know them! :D

For the disclaimer, as usual, nothing but the story belongs to me. But when I'll grow up, I'll be rich, and I'll buy them.

* * *

What a strange thing, looking at someone who's asleep. Someone said once we ought never do such a thing, because it was like opening a letter which is not addressed to you. Yet, Riku's doing it without a remorse, because he doesn't know that someone said that once. He looks at this beautiful red haired guy whose name's Axel. It's like looking at a painting, a wonderful one indeed, but still.

It's been thirty minutes now, Riku's pocket watch shows six p.m. And no one is coming back. Perhaps they have a lot to say to Mrs. Maleficent, perhaps it's really complex and so it asks for a lot of attention. Perhaps they left, Xigbar told them to after all. But that'd be weird, because they didn't want to leave, they said that Axel is their friend, that he saved their lives. What could that mean?

What a strange adventure indeed. Four unknown people arrived on the island; they looked like in an urge of going far away, but from what? What happened to them? Always the same questions you'll notice, but we can't prevent him to be curious.

He hears steps in the corridor, he looks at the main entrance of the infirmary and the nurse enters in, a bit of confusion on her face. She sees Riku, she walks toward him, smiling softly.

"Still here I see Riku. You must be really worried about this child (like a fairy godmother, told you) to stay at his side that long. Do you… Do you know him?" finally asks the nurse, putting his hand on Riku's shoulders, her eyes full of anxiety, watching first at him then at Axel.

"No, I don't. But it's so… Weird. Nobody knows them; nobody knows where they come from. That does not happen on the island. Never. It's always calm, always the same, and there they are, turning upside down everything. Did you learn something Ma'am? Did Mrs. Maleficent help them?" replies Riku, still looking at Axel's emotionless face.

"Mrs. Maleficent, in spite of all her authority, is now in a rather difficult situation. Listen Riku, you ought not to get too close to them. They are not bad, that is not what a meant, but they're… Dangerous is the word" says the nurse, looking down on her dress made of millions of different shades of blue.

"Why? And where are the others?" suddenly says Riku, staring at the nurse, obviously wanting to know everything about them.

"Still with Mrs. Maleficent, but listen to me Riku. It'd be better for you and for them if you leave them on their own" she says, an ounce of sadness in her soft and kind voice, putting an end to the discussion by going in her office.

Once again, Riku's alone on the bed's room. He stands up and, beginning to go back and forth in the small room, thinks. Really, how could they be dangerous? In danger, well, it appears so, but dangerous, why would they be? And all the same questions are turning once again in his head. He can't say his life is changing because once they'll go his life will go back to its boredom, but he can't, that's obvious, stop thinking about them. They are creating a wave in the plain and calm ocean of his life; he wants to surf on it as long as he cans. We can understand such a feeling, can't we?

One hour passes, and yet, no one is coming back. What is going on in Mrs. Maleficent's office? Riku doesn't know, and he won't until tomorrow, because he's going back to his home. Sora's not near, Axel and the two others either, so he enters, cooks, eats, watches a movie, reads a little and sleeps.

The next day, Tuesday, is the exact same thing. With Sora being late, asking about the castaways, with the classes, with Riku waiting in the infirmary's beds' room to see if Axel wakes up, but he does not and the two others can't be seen anywhere. So he goes back to his home at seven p.m. and does the same as the other days.

Wednesday, the same.

Why doesn't he wake up? Was he hit that badly?

Thursday, the same.

Where are the others? Something happened to them, that's sure.

Friday, he decides, instead of going to the infirmary, to go to Mrs. Maleficent's office. He knocks, she says to enter, he enters, she says to sit, he sits, she asks what he wants, he says he wants to know about the two friends of Axel, he hadn't seen them since Monday.

"Oh, dear, that is an awkward question. I don't know" answers Mrs. Maleficent, looking at Riku's face with her noble air.

"But they went to your office madam, what if he wakes up and finds himself alone?"

"I dismissed them after we talked. I offered them to stay in a house, in the island, until the one you're talking about awakens" she replies, going back to her paper, that is to say she's dismissing him too.

He goes out, and goes to the infirmary.

"Please, Ma'am, can you tell me if he wakes up? I'd like to know…" politely asks Riku, standing in the doorway of the nurse's office.

"I will. But you seem to forget what I told you. I want you to think about it, really, Riku" replies the nurse, a tiny smile on hers lips, stepping to him in her rainbow dress.

"I would if I knew why" he says, going out of the infirmary.

He goes out of college and goes straight to the house of the two others castaways. How could he know where it is? Well, because the mayor, Mrs. Maleficent, is clever and far-sighted and so she made build, a few years ago, some houses on the heights of the island in case of emergency. So there he goes. Nobody lives there; the ten houses are always empty. But the first to be seen is now occupied: there are house lights on in it.

Riku approaches and knocks. Not a sound. A deafening silence starts after he knocked. Now he's sure it's them. He knocks once, twice, three times. This time, someone opens the door lightly, just enough to see a face with ash blond hair. He recognises Riku as the one who was in the infirmary and so he opens a bit more the door, but he remains suspicious.

"What do you want?" he asks Riku.

"Just to know why you are not in the infirmary, at your friend's side" coldly replies Riku, accusingly. Because he is kind of angry with them for leaving Axel alone. "Friends don't do that" Sora'd say.

"Mind your business, kid" says a hoarse voice. Xigbar. Always there? He can't fix his mind it seems.

"But what if he wakes up alone? He'll be in need of you!" continues Riku, crossing his arms against his chest.

Xigbar opens the door entirely, makes one step out, crosses his arms too and looks down on Riku.

"I've told you to mind your own business. You don't want to know, you don't want anything, you just want to go away. Understood? Better be, because next time, I'll be less talkative, and you'll be sorry" he says, a devilish rictus on his mouth.

Riku does not respond. He's so angry. Yet he doesn't understand why. But we do, don't we? He doesn't want Axel to be alone like he is. So he is furious against those three fools who don't care about him. He turns his back on Xibgar, and walks away. Xigbar closes the door, a victorious smile on his face.

He walks quickly. He's going to his home. But on his way, it must be around eight p.m. and he still has half an hour of walking to get to his house, he feels someone. That is to say he feels someone behind him, following him. He immediately turns to see behind him and he catches sight of someone, a man, who tries to hide behind a tree. Not very discreet indeed.

"Show yourself. Why are you following me?" shouts Riku at the tree.

No answer, no move. For something like a whole minute. But then, the man shows himself, almost shyly, playing with his fingers and looking at the ground.

"Erh… Sorry I acted like that but I… Wanted to talk with you" says the voice of the ash blond guy.

"Well, take your chance, I'm listening" coldly, not to say sharply, responds Riku.

"I… Care about Axel. Don't think otherwise. We have our reasons for not being beside him. Don't judge us, we care about him…"

"You'd better show it more. Because I don't believe you" replies Riku, as cold as ice.

"Don't judge us!" almost yells the other guy, "I and Zexion love him! We'd do everything for him, he's our friend, but-"

"Friends don't do that" says Riku, as coldly as possible, crossing his arms.

The guy freezes. It seems like he's thinking to what Riku just said, and after a minute or two of complete silence, he falls on his knees, his hands on his head, sobbing.

"W-why do you say that? You d-don't know us… I-I like Axel, I want to b-be with him, t-to be there for him, he's my friend! B-but I can't… We can't… You can't understand u-us…" he says, weeping, looking at the ground while tears find their ways on his soft features.

Riku is taken by surprise. He did not thought of such a reaction, he did not meant to hurt that much, just to make him realise that he was doing wrong in his opinion. He walks toward the ash blond haired man and squats near him, slowly putting his hand on the other's shoulder.

"Hey, don't you think you're overreacting? Come on, stop crying, I didn't meant to hurt you like that" says Riku, trying to sound heart-warming.

"Then w-why did you?"

"I… Don't know. I don't want him to be alone. And I don't understand why you let him alone."

"It's not that we want t-to" starts the young man, stopping his sobs little by little "but we can't be with him that much… Becau-"

"Demyx! Where are you? Demyx!" says the voice of the one Riku assumed to be Zexion.

Demyx turns his head to the direction of the voice, a worried look on his face, and he stands up, rubbing the dust on his clothes.

"Demyx!" continues Zexion.

They now hear his steps toward them.

"Please, understand us. He's our friend" whispers Demyx, slowly going to Zexion without looking at Riku.

Riku says nothing, he watches him walking in the darkness of the night, staying here, trying to do what Demyx asked him. He can't. Even after thinking about it for a few minutes, alone, he can't. So he turns his back to where Demyx went, and goes for his house. And he starts thinking. It is weird. They're going away from their friend. What can be so important to stop caring about a friend? He doesn't understand because Sora taught him friends care because they can't be away from each other. If they can, they are not friends.

Suddenly, another thought makes its way through his mind. He does. He cares for this Axel. What a thing indeed. Why? Because Axel has the life he wishes for. He wants adventure, things to happen in his life. He does not have that, Axel does. Conclusion? He wants to be with him to live the life he has.

He enters his home, cooks, eats, reads a little and sleeps.

* * *

The next day, he is not even up that someone knocks at his door. Once, twice, three times. He makes, slowly and still in his pyjamas (simple purple capri short. Yes, nothing else: in the island, the weather is rather wonderful every day), his way to the door and opens it. A white, navy blue and chocolate tornado, with what could look like an enormous smile, throws itself on him, laughing.

"Riku, Riku, Riku, they said you can come! Come, come, come! Please say yeeeees!" says Sora, turning around Riku, almost dancing.

"Huh? What? What is it?" replies Riku, surprised and without understanding a single word.

"You. Can. Come. With. Us" says Sora, slower and stopping his dance.

"Where?"

"To Radiant Garden! They've finished working on it, so they changed the name. It seems to be wonderful, and my parents said you could come, if you want. But you want! Don't you?" responds Sora, with one of the brightest smile on his face, holding Riku's hands in his.

"Huh? Well, yes I do, but when are we leaving? I mean… I'm not ready to go anywhere and for how long and-"

"Stop. You come, we'll be back for Monday, and we're leaving now! Now, now, now! Quick quick, quick, they're waiting at home for us! You go shower and eat, I'll do your bag!"

"Er" is all Riku succeeds to say when Sora pushes him in his bathroom. So he showers while Sora takes a bag, fills it with some clothes taken here and there. Then he eats while Sora's happily talking to him. Then he prepares himself to go, he locks what need to be locked, and then they go to Sora's house.

Sora's parents and his twin, Roxas, are waiting for them, smiling gently. Just in front of Sora's house is the beach, and so the sea, with the quay. They go, after a little talk between Riku and Sora's family, to the quay where a boat, not theirs, obviously, they're just hiring it, is waiting for them. They enter, Riku's the last, and after twenty minutes of preparation, the boat's going, piloted by Sora's father. A few hours and they'll be in Radiant Garden.

They enter the harbour of Radiant Garden. They go out of the boat and walk toward downtown, searching for their hotel. Sora and Riku are dazzled by how beautiful Radiant Garden looks now. Before, it was quite dark, but now it's rather full of sunlight. With flowers, and trees, and fountains. Even the castle looks brighter. It's a marvellous castle indeed; it's the house of the mayor of Radiant Garden. It was called Hollow Bastion before, because it was really sombre. But now, it's shining.

They eventually find their hotel. While Sora's parents make everything settled, the three kids, Riku, Sora and Roxas, go out to visit. They walk, talk, laugh. Riku's life is not a bore now, it's wonderful. New things, new people, everything's new here for him. Nothing's like home. So he smiles more than usual.

The day is like a dream for Riku. We can easily understand why. No need for Axel now, he doesn't even think about him; Axel, it's true and really understandable even if debatable, is just an occupation like another one. That is to say a way out of his boring life. Nothing more. But once, for a few seconds, late in the afternoon, near one of the most beautiful fountain of the town, he thinks that he'll have to go home, and so he thinks about Axel. But then Sora and Roxas come back with three cones of ice-cream, so the thinking stops.

Around nine p.m., they are all in the hotel. Sora and Roxas in one room, Sora's parents in another one and Riku on his own. Riku wants to see the city by night, because it has to be equally wonderful than by day. So he goes out after saying where he's going to Sora's parents, and he starts walking down the street. He walks, radiating joy and calmness. It's dark, the lights are marvellous. He steps in a quiet little street, just because he wanted to go to the other main street of the city and he thought this lane was a shortcut. He is right. But as he's about to reach the main street, he sees something on the wall. A little bill is on it. It's rather dark here so he can't see well but he thinks he knows the people on it. Because there are people on this paper, four to be more specific. He walks toward it, curious, and he sees them, Xigbar, Zexion, Demyx and Axel, on this bill, with the word "_Wanted_" below.

He goes back to the hotel, with one of the greatest headache he ever had. Because he thinks too much. He does not tell Sora or his family. He won't bother them with that. But he sleeps badly. And the next day is not as wonderful as the first one.

When they return to the island, Riku goes home after saying, one last time, thanks and goodbye. Everything is now normal, like before. That is to say boring. So he cooks, he eats, he reads a little and he sleeps. Badly, again.

Monday's there now. Morning's the same as the others, Sora too. Even if they talk about their trip, it's just like before. After classes, he goes to the infirmary. He's about to open the door when the nurse goes out, a very worried and frightened look on her face. She almost runs right into him. But she stops just before, and looks at Riku.

"Riku? What are you doing here?" she asks, looking like a ghost.

"Er… I'm here to see if Axel's awake or if he's all right" replies Riku, without understanding a thing about the situation "but what happened Ma'am?" he adds.

"Nothing" she says, trying to sound calm, without even a spark of success, "the infirmary is closed, you can go home and rest Riku".

And then, she goes away, to the second floor, forgetting to close the door. We said once that Riku is curious. So he enters, carefully looking everywhere inside the room. Nothing. He visits the rest of the infirmary. And that's the problem. Nothing. Axel's not here anymore.

* * *

So, so, so? What did you think of it? Pleaaase tell me ! :)

Anyway, I really hope you liked it, I'll always try to do better than before!


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's note:** Hi again everyone! Sorry, I've been a bit busy with work so it took a few days to write this chapter. I do, once again, hope you'll like it though! (:

Oh, and I want to apologise again for the mistakes. English is not my native language and even if I'm trying to do my best, it's still far from perfect.

About the disclaimer, still the same it seems.

* * *

"What happened, dear?" Riku hears Mrs. Maleficent's voice say to, probably, the nurse.

"I was away for something like thirty minutes to help a student in a class, and when I came back, he was gone. What do you think? Is he awake?" replies the nurse, obviously worried.

"Unfortunately, I don't know Pumpkin ("Wait. What?" thinks Riku, astonished). But I'd prefer to think he is. It would be better for him if he were actually" says Mrs. Maleficent "I don't want to think about the other option" she adds.

The nurse makes a sound of fear and anxiety while going in the infirmary.

"Do… Do you think they found him? And the others?" she asks.

"Him, perhaps. The others, not a chance" answers Mrs. Maleficent, opening the door to the bed's room and finding Riku, standing alone beside Axel's bed, looking at her.

"What are you doing here?" politely and calmly asks Mrs. Maleficent.

"Oh, Riku!" starts the nurse, going to the student, putting her arm around his shoulders in a protective way "I told you not to enter, why did you?"

"I wanted to see if he was O.K" says Riku, looking down and expecting troubles, trying not to ask all the questions he has in mind.

"Have you seen something while you were there?" asks Mrs. Maleficent.

"No" responds Riku, "but what happened? Where is he?"

"If I knew, I would not be here. Now, do you mind going back to your home?" she asks, but obviously, it is more like an order.

"Y-yes Madam" he says, going away rather quickly while he still has no troubles.

So he goes out of the infirmary and out of the college. Now he thinks. What happened? That is the question and he can't answer it. So he tries to stop thinking. But it seems he sees ruby hair everywhere. Each time there's someone in the street, he immediately thinks it's Axel. He really is obsessed with that guy. Why? We already said why.

Once again, on the quay, he thinks he's seeing a red haired guy boarding a little boat, alone. He turns his head away; it can't be him, just an illusion of his mind. He turns his head again to that supposed Axel, and it is still here, now with paddles in its hands. Ok, now that is getting weirder than before. The boat starts to move when the guy begins to row. Without thinking, Riku starts to run toward the quay and the barque, shouting Axel's name. He can't say why, but now, he's sure it is him.

So he runs, he is on the quay now, and the red haired guy had stopped rowing when he had heard his name. Axel is already quite far in the ocean, he watches that boy with an unusual hair colour who's calling him.

"Come back! Why are you leaving?" shouts Riku, now at the edge of the quay, using his hands as a megaphone.

"Why should I? Who are you anyway? I don't know you!" replies Axel, suspicious.

Riku hears, and he stops moving. Axel's voice is acting on him like an enchantment. A wonderful one would say Riku at this very moment. He is astonished by how rudeness, grace, mockery, beauty, insolence and delicacy are mixing so well in just a voice. People often say we know when we see. We do think, and now Riku totally agrees, that we also know when we hear. He would like to hear anything if this anything is said by such a voice.

"I… I am Riku, I helped you when your boat drowned!" he says, trying to convince the red haired one to come back.

"What? What the hell are you talking about?" Axel says.

"Come back, now, your wounds may not be healed yet!"

"My wounds?" responds Axel, obviously trying not to laugh to what he'd call insanity, "Well, you must take me for someone I'm not, I'm certainly not wounded, and I still don't know you, have a nice day!" he adds, waving his hand with a mocking tone in his voice.

"No, come back, I'm serious! Dammit!" swears Riku (yes, he cans, a little though). He takes his phone, an old one because he has no use of it except when he texts Sora, and he immediately calls the mayor's office.

"Mayor's office, what can we do to help?" answers a dreadfully inelegant voice. The secretary.

"I need to talk to Mrs. Maleficent, now!" almost yells Riku, watching the red haired guy going away slowly.

"I'm sorry, she's out for the moment, may I take a message?"

"No! Give me her mobile phone number or something but I have to talk to her, now! It's urgent, it's about Axel!"

"Oh, no, I cannot do such a thing, she'd be furious!" says the secretary with a choked voice, "Oh, but there she is, just a second sir!"

"What is it?" asks the cold and regal voice of Mrs. Maleficent.

"Madam, it's Riku! I've found Axel on the main quay but he's going away on a barque and I can't stop hi-" starts Riku, but he cannot finish, Mrs. Maleficent had hung up on him.

Fine, good, ok, what can he do now? He tries to call Axel one more time but he's now unable to hear Riku's voice, he is too far from the shore. So he does exactly what Axel did, that is to say he boards one of the barque, takes the paddles and starts to row with all his strength.

Almost at the same time, he hears a police siren. And then he sees the police boat moving on the ocean as fast as it cans toward Axel's small one. Axel seems to understand nothing of the situation. Police now? Seriously, what have I done?

The police boat stops beside Axel's barque, and they have a talk which quickly turns into an argument. Riku had stopped his own barque near the quay, and he is now watching the scene. Axel doesn't want to go on the police boat, he's yelling something Riku can't understand, he even tries to defend himself when the policemen catch his shoulders, but it's obvious he does not succeed because the police boat comes back to the quay with Axel on board. He looks furious. He glares at Riku, and Riku almost feels ashamed because of this murderous look, as if it was his entire fault. Well, it is, but he didn't mean to do something to hurt the red haired guy.

* * *

Now, the colours of the sunset are moving on the calm sea. Riku likes to see them. Especially when he is feeling something between sadness and ennui. He tried to go along the policemen with Axel, but they said he was not allowed to. So he watched Axel as he went away. The red haired guy didn't even look at him. And it hurt Riku, because he thought Axel would like him. After all he had done.

He is sitting on the sand, it's warm, it feels good. Oh, look, a whale! And she's singing. It calms Riku, like always. He would like to know what the meaning of her song is, but he can't, he is not a whale. So he just listens.

"What's wrong, Riku?" asks a too familiar voice. The melody's always childish, but the tone is now too serious to be just a joke. He must be worried Riku thinks before he looks up in Sora's big blue eyes.

"Why are you here?" replies Riku.

"Fairy-Godmother called me. She said you would probably be in need of a talk. But she didn't tell why" Sora says, sitting next to Riku, starting to play with the sand.

"Axel woke up"

It always had been that easy for Riku to speak to Sora. If it has been someone else there, he would have told him to go away, rather rudely. But it's Sora, and he trusts Sora, so he talks with Sora about a lot of things, not to say everything.

"Seriously?!" exclaims Sora, more surprised than we could tell "And? What happened? Did he talk? C'mon, tell me Riku!" he asks, starting to act childish again. Seriousness is now far far away from his voice.

"Well, he actually talked. But he just didn't give a damn to what I wanted to say, and he tried to left with a barque. So I called Mrs. Maleficent an-"

"You called Mrs. Maleficent? You have her number, really? Waw, that's something to tell to the others!" Sora interrupts Riku, making fun of his friend.

"Not her number, the one of her office, you moron!" laughs Riku. Yes, he laughs, only when Sora's alone with him.

"That's what they all say" says Sora with a big grin on his face "But still, what happened after?"

"She hung up on me. I didn't know what to do, so I just boarded a barque too and tried to catch up with him but then there was this police boat, coming from nowhere, and they take Axel with them. I'm sure it's Maleficent's work" tells Riku, now looking at the horizon, watching the top of the sun going away.

"That's obvious! And then? What happened then?"

"I don't know, they didn't let me go with them. So I went here, and you came" says Riku.

"Aww… Well, let's find out!" laughs Sora, rising up and helping Riku up without asking him anything, especially his approval.

"Hey, well, er… How?" asks Riku.

"… You don't have an idea? Or something like that?" says Sora, already starting to think that they will not be able to find out, and looking at his feet disappointed.

"Well... Nope" starts Riku, seeming to think "Oh, wait! We can still ask the others no?"

"But that's brilliant Riku!" laughs Sora, almost dancing around Riku with one of his brightest smile "Let's go!" and he begins to run. Before he stops, turning to see Riku "But… Where are they?"

"Probably in one of the house on the hill. You know, the ones in case of emergency. The mayor gave them one during their stay" answers Riku, walking calmly toward Sora, putting his hands in his pockets "And I don't want to run!" he adds, warning his friend with a smile, knowing far too well Sora's games and races.

"Not funny!" says Sora, doing one of his usual pout, putting his hands behind his head.

And they walk toward the hill, smiling, talking, laughing sometimes, having no idea of what was going on. Riku decided to walk because he still needs time to think about what happened with Axel. Nothing happened the way he had imagined it. Actually, it was quite the opposite, because he thought he would be here when Axel would have woke up, he thought Axel would be grateful, would talk to him about his story. But we can say he thought wrong.

Anyway, they are now in front of the door of the house they were looking for. Sora knocks, once, twice, three times. A bit of a silence, and once again, Demyx slightly opens the door. He sees Sora, and behind him, Riku. He begins to close the door after a sigh; obviously he doesn't want to talk with them.

"Wait, we just want to talk about Axel!" says Sora, trying to show a pleading look on his face.

Demyx stops, and the door's opened by the one called Zexion. Really, this hair, it's certainly not natural.

"What? What about Axel?" he says. His voice sounds calm. We mean, really calm, like without any emotion.

"Er… We wanted to know if you knew where he is?" starts Sora, looking at Riku once, a bit confused, and then at Demyx and Zexion after Riku gave him a nod.

"What do you mean "where he is"?" asks Demyx "Isn't he still in the infirmary?"

"Well, not really, he woke up earlier an-" begins Riku, crossing his arms against his chest.

"What?" says Zexion, and his voice sounds, although still calm, a bit surprised. It seems it's the most emotional tone Riku could hear from Zexion.

And now, Riku starts to tell them what happened.

"That wicked witch!" shouts Demyx, going out of the house and taking Zexion's hand "C'mon, we have to go, who knows why she didn't tell us! Run!" he almost yells to Zexion who seems to perfectly understand his friend and starts to run with him. They're going directly to the college, where Mrs. Maleficent's office is.

"Er…" relevantly says Sora, looking at them without understanding anything "What just happened?"

"I… Don't know. C'mon, let's follow them!" answers Riku, starting to feel worried about Axel. Demyx and Zexion, after he told them, for one second they looked terrified about the fact that Mrs. Maleficent didn't tell them. Why?

They start to run straight to Mrs. Maleficent's office too. They almost catch up with the two guys when they finally enter, all four, the college. After a short and silent agreement, they run through the corridors, Demyx and Zexion following Riku and Sora; they don't know where the office is after all, they're not students.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" yells Demyx, violently opening the door which leads to Mrs. Maleficent's office, staring at her with his most murderous glare "Why didn't you tell us?! Did you sell him out, huh?!"

Mrs. Maleficent raises an eyebrow, visibly disagreeing with Demyx' tone. She stares back, and she rises up from her seat with all her magnificence.

"How dare you?" she starts, more regal than a queen "I've been helping you ever since you arrived, and that is what you dare think?"

Useless to say that Demyx, despite all his anger, looks down at his feet, starting to feel ashamed of his demeanour.

"Er… T-they told us that Axel had woken up and you didn't tell us so… we thought that you…"

"You thought wrong. Sit" she orders to all of them, including Riku and Sora. And they all do in silence.

"Axel is awake, indeed" starts Mrs. Maleficent, putting her graceful hands on her desk "But I am afraid there is a problem with his current state, that is why I did not call you, I've been dealing with a lot of things"

"What do you mean?" asks Zexion, calm and polite.

"He is victim of amnesia."

"What? How's that even possible?" almost shouts Demyx, almost rising up from his chair but sitting down again when Mrs. Maleficent glared at him.

"Well, he does not remember a thing about the events. That is to say he doesn't remember what happened, which explains why he tried to go back to Radiant Garden when he woke up" explains Mrs. Maleficent.

"But…" starts Demyx, astonished, looking down at his hands which are starting to shake.

"Where is he? What will happen?" asks Riku. Yes, Riku, he does want to know about Axel.

"Seeing the circumstances, I've decided that the three of you will stay in the islands under the city's protection" answers Mrs. Maleficent, meaning Demyx, Zexion and Axel "The last one, Xigbar I do think his name is, is gone, he no longer wanted to stay. But you being only the age of a student, you will, and you will try to be as discreet as possible. You will go to college as normal young people while I and Mrs. Pumpkin, the nurse, will try to find a way to cure your friend"

Sora holds back a giggle. So the nurse's name is Pumpkin?

"You two, seeing your concern," she says, pointing her long finger toward Sora and Riku "will help them with their integration. And to answer your question, Axel is currently in the infirmary; Mrs. Pumpkin is trying to help him recover. You're dismissed"

And all of them rise up from their seats, and they go out of the office. They all walk, in silence, to the infirmary.

* * *

Did you enjoyed? Tell me with a review! (:

Anyway, it's not the best thing ever, but I do like this chapter, it's like the beginning of something with Axel and Riku actually meeting for the first time and all. I know it's taking long long time, but I'm trying to do everything right.


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